The Weekend
The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team (0-0; 0-0 NSIC) opens the 2011-12 season with the NSIC/RMAC Challenge Nov. 11-12. The Beavers will travel to Denver, Colo. for an Nov. 11 contest against No. 10 Metro State College and then head to Colorado Springs, Colo. for a Nov. 12 tilt against University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Both games are set for an 8 p.m. (central) tip-off.

The Beavers
The Beavers had their lone exhibition game against University of Minnesota Nov. 1, falling in Minneapolis by the score of 71-58. Sophomore David Berthene led BSU with 21 points on 5-for-11 shooting from 3-point land. Senior James Ellisor and sophomore Jake Schalow each had 12 points for the Beavers, while BSU’s all-time assist leader, senior Bryce Tesdahl, had nine assists.

BSU was tabbed to finish seventh in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Beavers closed the 2010-11 season with an 11-15 overall and 8-14 NSIC record to close the campaign in a three-way tie for 10th in the league standings.

The Roadrunners: Metro State was ranked No. 10 by the nation’s coaches in the NABC Preseason Poll and were tabbed as the league favorite in the coaches’ poll. The Roadrunners finished last season with a 22-8 record after finishing second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 17-5 mark in conference play. The Roadrunners won their first postseason game since 2007, defeating Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference-member University of Mary 78-73 in the first round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The win advanced the squad to the semifinals where it fell 69-64 to NCAA Final Four participants, Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Reggie Evans was tabbed as the RMAC Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Metro State is the winningest NCAA Division II men’s basketball program in history with record of 587-246 (.705) entering the season.

All-Time Series vs the Roadrunners: Nov. 11 will be the first meeting between the teams.

The Mountain Lions: UC-Colorado Springs closed last season with a 9-17 overall and 7-15 RMAC record to finish # in the league standings. UCCS returns just four players from last season’s team and were picked 12 of 14 teams in the RMAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Mountain Lions have played two exhibition games this season against Division I opponents, falling to Weber State 101-55 Nov. 7 and Boise State 93-47 Nov. 8.

Matt Heydman led the Mountain Lions in exhibition play with 20 points on 7-of-14 (50%) shooting from the field, while adding seven rebounds.
All-Time Series vs the Mountain Lions: The teams have never met.